A grad of the theatre studies program at Red Deer College continues to make his mark on the province’s theatrical scene.

And local audiences will soon have a chance to see one of Joel Crichton’s creations when Death: Live! is staged at The Matchbox as part of the annual Bohemian Rhapsody Festival July 8-10 and 15-17.

Patio opens at 6:30 p.m. nightly, with curtain at 7:30 p.m.

Directed by Vincent Forcier and written by Crichton, Death: Live! follows the Angel of Death as he proudly presents his greatest hits – his top ten favourite deaths in musical form.

Audiences will journey from the prehistoric tribal warfare to the present day and beyond.

Crichton said the journey to the finished product, which today features 12 musical numbers, started about three years ago with inspiration from another work.

“We always said we wanted to come back to it, because it was such a strong and original concept,” he explains, adding the creative team kept only one piece from the original production they’d staged a few years prior.

Described as set in a cabaret style, the story line does not highlight deaths of famous folks.

“There will not be anyone you will recognize,” says Crichton, who plays the title role of Death. “I talk about the themes of the show, but the main parts of it are the stories themselves. It’s extremely entertaining with action and lots of excitement woven in.”

Meanwhile, Crichton, who now lives and works in Edmonton but completed theatre studies at Red Deer College, isn’t concerned the production will offend local audiences.

“Local audiences might be slightly more conservative in terms of taste, but I think the liberals parts of the show will be understood by the end.”

The Bohemian Rhapsody Festival features different shows both weeks of its run, but Death: Live! runs through the entire event.

For more information about the Bohemian Rhapsody Festival, check out www.thematchbox.ca. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at 403-340-4455.